Driving mechanism.



L. BROWN.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAYIB. 1914.

1 W5AQW, Patented Apr.13, 1915.

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DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I3, 1914.

Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

3 SHEBTSSHBET 2.

\ LEVI BROWN L. BROWN.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

APPL|CATION FILED MAY 13, 1914.

1 1 6 Patented Apr. 13, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

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LEVI BROWN, 0F CLARINDA, IOWA, ASSIGNOR T0 CLARINDA LAWN COMPANY, OFCLARINDA, IOWA, A CORPORATION OF IQWA.

DRIVING MECHANISM.

Application filed May 13, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LEVI BROWN, a cit1- zenof the United States of America, and resident of Clarinda, Page county,Iowa, have invented a new and useful Driving Mechanism, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provlde an improved construction andarrangement for mechanisms for driving the agitating devices of awashing machine.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved mechanismfor imparting alternating rotary motion to a driven shaft. I

A further object of this invention 1s to provide a dolly drivingmechanism which shall be simple in construction and eminently quiet andeflicient in operation.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims andillustrated by the acoompanylng drawing, in which" Figure 1 is a rearelevation illustrat ng my improved driving mechanism applied to awashing machine, the gear housing or dolly box being shown in section toreveal interior construction. Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is avertical section, on an enlarged scale, illustrating the clutchconnections between the power shaft and countershaft. Fig. A is anelevation, on an enlarged scale, of a sleeve surrounding and adapted todrive the dolly shaft. Fig. 5 1s a fragmentary plan, on an enlargedscale, illustrating means for stopping the sleeve and dolly shaft at theend of each partial revolution,

In the construction and mounting of the mechanism as shown the numeral10 designates a support such as a washing machine tub of any desiredconstruction and carried in any desired manner. The tub 10 is formedwith a stationary cover member 11 and a movable cover member 12. Hingemembers 13 are fixed to the stationary cover member 11 and are inclinedupwardly and laterally therefrom, and similar hinge members 14: arefixed to the movable cover member 12 and are inclined upwardly andlaterally therefrom to register with the first hinge members. A powershaft 15 is journaled for rotation in the upper ends of the r hingemembers 13, 14: and said shaft also Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. is, rare. Serial No. 838,265.

constitutes a pintle for articulation of the hinge members 14: andmovable cover member 12. lhe line of articulation of the cover member 12is considerably above the plane of the fixed cover member 11 andapproximately in the vertical plane of the outer margin thereof, so thatthe movable member 12 swings entirely out of the way when in openposition, and affords easy access to the tub.

A bracket 16 is mounted on one side of the tub 10 and a prime mover,such as an electric motor 17, is loosely mounted on and supported bysaid bracket, and has driving connections, through spiral gears mountedin a gear case 18, with the shaft 15. A dolly shaft 19 is mounted forrotary oscillation in upright position in the center of the tub l0 andprojecting through the movable cover member 12. A cylindrical. gear boxor casing 20 is mounted on the movable cover member 12 and is providedwith a cover 21, ordinarily securely fixed in position. The dolly shaft19 extends through the gear box 20 and the ver 21 ad is arrangedeccentrically relative thereto. The dolly shaft 19, which carriessuitable agitating devices on its lower end within the tub, is formedangular in cross-section and is adapted for vertical movement relativeto the gear box 20 and cover 21, to regulate the position of theagitating devices, in accordance with the size of the load contained inthe tub.

A head 22 is secured to the upper end of the dolly shaft 19, above thecover 21. and limits downward movement of said shaft. A gear case orhousing 23 is mounted on the fixed cover member 11 and surrounding theshaft 15, and a counter-shaft 24 passes from said gear case to the gearcase 20. A spiral gear 25 is mounted on and fixed to the driving shaft15 within the case 23 (see Fig. 3) and is in mesh with and adapted todrive a spiral gear 26 mounted loosely on the end of the countershaft24. A clutch member 27 is fixed to the spiral gear 26 and is adapted tobe engaged at times by a clutch member 28 feathered to the countershaft2 t. The clutch member 28 is movable into and out of engagement with theclutch member 27 by means of a lever 29 fulcrumed on a pin 30 extendingthrough the casing 23, said lever having one end seated loosely in acircumferential groove 31 in said clutch member 28, and the opposite endextending outside of said casing. A bevel gear 32 is mounted on andfixed to the opposite end of the countershaft 24 within the gear box 20,and said .bevel gear meshes with and is adapted to drive bevel gears 33,34 mounted in horizontal position'in said casing on opposite sides ofthe gear 32. The lower bevel gear 34 is supported on an annular shoulder35 formed on the lower portion of the side wall of the casing 20, andthe upper gear 33 is supported on the top of said side wall and is heldin place by the cover 21. A sleeve 36 is mounted in upright positionwithin the gear box 20 and is formed with a longitudinal borecorresponding and fitted to the shaft 19. The sleeve 36-is formed withoutwardly projecting arms 37, 38 adjacent its top and bottomrespectively, and said arms are adapted to engage successively andalternately with lugs 39, 4Q, respectively, formed on and projectingradially of the bevel gears 33, 34, which gears are of ring or annularform. As the gears 33, 34 are on opposite sides of the bevel gear 32 andare driven in opposite directions, this alternate engagement with thesleeve 36, which is rendered possible because of the off-centerarrangement thereof, results in an alternating rotary motion of thesleeve and consequently of the dolly shaft 19. The lugs 39, 40 are soarranged on the gears 33, 34 that they alternately traverse that segmentof the gear case 20 nearest the sleeve 36, and are thus designed foralternate engagement with their corresponding arms, 37, 38, of saidsleeve. The length and arrangement of the arms 37, 38 and lugs 39, 40 issuch that each arm is in engagement with its lug for a trifle less thanone-half of the revolution of the gears 33, 34, and disengages becauseof the eccentric arrangement, by slipping off the end of the lug, justbefore the other arm comes into engagement with its lug.

Spaced stops 41, 42 are fixed to and project upwardly from the bottom ofthe box 20 and are adapted to be engaged alternately by the arm 38 ofthe sleeve 36, to insure stopping of the sleeve and the dolly shaft, atthe end of each engagement of an arm 37, 38 with its lug.

A wringer 43 is mounted on the support 10 and is adapted to be driven bythe power shaft 15 through gears located in casings 44, 45 carried bysaid support. These elements and others shown in connection therewithform no part of my present invention but are illustrated and describedin detail in my companion application executed on even date herewith andpending concurrently in the Patent Office.

This mechanism is simple in construction, having a relatively smallnumber of gears and other parts; is direct and positive in itsoperation; and operates with quietness to a remarkable extent. When themachine is loaded and running, scarcely any noise can be detected beyondthe humming of the motor.

All of the gears are inclosed in the various housings, and there isabsolutely no danger of the operator having his lingers or clothingcaught or injured in any manner.

I claim as my invention 1. A driving mechanism, comprising a powershaft, a countershaft, releasable gear connections between said shafts,a dolly shaft mounted for rotary oscillation, a bevel gear on saidcountershaft, bevel gears mounted for rotation on opposite sides of thefirst bevel gear and arranged eccentrically relative to said dollyshaft, and means for alternately connecting said latter bevel gears tothe dolly shaft.

2'. A driving mechanism, comprising a power shaft, a countershaft gearedto said power shaft and adapted to be disconnected therefrom at times, acylindrical gear case, a dolly shaft mounted for rotary oscillationthrough and eccentrically of said gear case, a bevel gear on saidcountershaft Within said gear case, opposing bevel gears mounted forrotation and adapted to be driven by the first bevel gear, and means foralternately connectin said latter bevel gears to the dolly sha t.

3. A driving mechanism, comprising, a power shaft, a countershaftreleasably connected thereto, a cylindrical gear case, a dolly shaftmounted for rotary oscillation and arranged eccentrically relative tosaid gear case, a bevel gear on said countershaft within said gear case,opposing bevel gears mounted for rotation in said gear case and adaptedto be driven in opposite directions by the first bevel gear, and arms onsaid dolly shaft in the planes of the opposing bevel gears, said bevelgears being formed with lugs adapted to be engaged by said armsalternately.

4. A driving mechanism, comprising a power shaft, a countershaftreleasably connected thereto, a cylindrical gear case, a dolly shaftmounted for rotary oscillation and arranged eccentrically within saidgear case, a bevel gear on said countershaft within said gear case,opposing bevel gears mounted for rotation in said gear case and adaptedto be driven in opposite directions by the first bevel gear, and arms onsaid dolly shaft in the planes of the respective opposing bevel gears,said bevel gears being formed with lugs adapted for alternate engagement with said arms, said gear case being'formed with stops foralternate engagement by the lower arm of said dolly shaft.

5. A driving mechanism, comprising a power shaft, a countershaftreleasably con nected thereto, a cylindrical gear case, a dolly shaftmounted for rotary oscillation and vertical adjustment and arrangedeccenmamas trically through said gear case, a bevel gear on saidcountershaft within said gear case, opposing bevel gears mounted forrotation in opposite directions within said vgear case and in mesh withthe first bevel gear, and a sleeve mounted on and for rotation with saiddolly shaft, radial arms on one side of said sleeve and verticallyspaced, the opposing bevel gears being formed with radial lugs adaptedfor alternate engagement with said radial arms. I a

6. A driving mechanism, comprising a power shaft, a countershaft atright angles thereto, intermeshing spiral gears on said power shaft andcounter-shaft, a dolly shaft mounted for rotary oscillation, gearsarranged .eccentrically relative to said dolly shaft and driven inopposite directions by said countershaft, and means connected with said.latter gears for alternate enga ement with said dolly shaft, whereby saidolly shaft is alternately rotated in opposite directions.

7. A driving mechanism, comprising a power shaft, a countershaft atright angles thereto, a spiral gear on said power shaft, a

spiral gear meshing with the first spiral gear and adapted to beclutched to said countershaft, a dolly shaft mounted for rotaryoscillation, and means connected with said countershaft for alternateengagement vwith said dolly shaft, said means being arrangedeccentrically relative to said dolly shaft, whereby said dolly shaft isalternately ro-.

tated in opposite directions.

day of April, 1914.

' LEVI BROWN. Witnesses:

' EARL M. SINCLAIR,

Clams. 'llnmvronrrrn.

